In Maryland a standard homeowners policy generally covers sudden water damage and generally excludes flood and seepage through a foundation or floor. Sewer and sump backup are covered only with an endorsement that insurers must offer. The policy and the insurer decide any claim, and the Maryland Insurance Administration takes complaints about denied or delayed claims.
Key takeaways
- Sudden damage, such as a supply line that bursts inside a wall, is the kind a standard policy generally responds to.
- Flood and groundwater seepage through a foundation or floor are generally excluded from a standard homeowners policy.
- Sewer and sump backup need the water and sewer backup endorsement, which Maryland insurers must offer but which is optional to buy.
- Flood coverage comes from an endorsement, a separate private policy or the National Flood Insurance Program, which has a 30-day waiting period for new or changed policies.
- Slow leaks are generally not covered, whenever they are found, so record when the water was first noticed.
- The Maryland Insurance Administration can look into a denied or delayed claim, and its consumer line is 800-492-6116.
What does a standard Maryland homeowners policy generally cover after water damage?
A standard homeowners policy generally covers sudden and accidental water damage, such as a supply line that bursts or a washer hose that lets go. It generally does not cover flood, and it generally excludes water that seeps through the foundation or floor, which is often treated as a maintenance matter. The wording of each policy decides the details.
Insurers look first at the cause of the water. Sudden damage from a pipe or appliance is the kind of loss a homeowners policy generally responds to, because it happened at a moment and the damage followed from it. Water that came up through the ground or in from outside during a storm is treated differently, because the policy generally excludes flood and groundwater.
Maintenance is a further line. Water that enters through a foundation wall or a floor over time is often treated as a maintenance problem, which the owner is expected to prevent. That is why the questions of when the water started and how it moved are as important to the claim as the amount of damage.
Read the declarations page and the endorsements list, not only the main policy. The endorsements are where sewer backup and some other water coverage appear, and they are easy to miss at renewal.
| Event | General treatment |
|---|---|
| Supply line or washer hose bursts inside the house | Sudden damage, generally covered |
| Water seeps through a foundation wall or floor | Generally excluded; often treated as maintenance |
| Storm water runs in from outside | Flood or surface water, generally excluded |
| Sewer or sump backup | Covered only with the water and sewer backup endorsement |
| Slow leak found after weeks or months | Generally not covered, whenever it was discovered |
| Pipe bursts in an unheated home | May not be covered; ask the insurer in writing |
Is sewer backup covered in Maryland, and what does the endorsement pay for?
Sewer or sump backup is covered only when the water and sewer backup endorsement is on the policy. Maryland law requires insurers to offer that endorsement, but buying it is optional. The endorsement generally pays for the water damage the backup caused, but not for repairing the pipe that failed.
The distinction between the damage and the pipe is where many claims get stuck. The endorsement is designed to pay for what the water destroyed in the house. The pipe, the drain line and the sewer connection are repairs the owner arranges with a plumber, and those costs generally fall outside the endorsement.
A backup on the public sewer side raises a second question, which is who clears the blockage. In the WSSC district, WSSC clears a blockage on its own side of the pipe at no charge, and its claims office handles claims for backups it caused. The insurer and the utility answer different questions, so keep the records for both.
- Check whether the water and sewer backup endorsement is on the policy before the backup happens.
- Keep the plumber's invoice showing where the blockage was found.
- Photograph the drain, the floor and the water line before anything is removed.
How do flood policies work in Maryland, and when do they start?
Flood coverage comes from one of three places: an endorsement to a homeowners policy, a separate private flood policy, or the National Flood Insurance Program. The NFIP has a 30-day waiting period for new or changed policies, so coverage bought after a storm is forecast may not apply to that storm.
Flood is the event that most often surprises homeowners. The county's flood guidance records that most local flooding in the past decade has been flash flooding from intense local storms that overwhelm drainage and small creeks, often outside the mapped floodplains. A house outside a mapped zone can still take water, and the policy decides whether that water is covered.
The 30-day waiting period is the detail most worth checking early. A policy bought after a storm is forecast, or after water is already seen, may not respond to that event. Ask the agent for the start date in writing.
What happens when a claim is denied or delayed?
Ask the insurer for the reason in writing, and keep a copy of the policy and every letter. The Maryland Insurance Administration can look into a denied or delayed claim, and its consumer line is 800-492-6116. Where the administration issues a determination, its letter states the deadline for any hearing request, so read that letter first.
Start with the written reason for the decision. Compare it with the policy wording and the endorsements, and ask the insurer to point to the exclusion or the clause it relies on. Many disputes are about the cause of the water rather than the amount of damage, so the records of the source and the timing carry the most weight.
Keep the photographs taken before any cleanup, the moisture readings, the plumber's invoices and the notes of every call with the insurer. A complaint to the administration is stronger with a clear timeline than with a general account of the loss.
- Get the denial or delay in writing, with the clause relied on.
- Keep a dated log of every call, email and visit.
- Read the determination letter for its hearing deadline the day it arrives.
What should a homeowner document before the cleanup starts?
Document the water before anything is moved or thrown away. Photographs and short notes on the source, the time it was found, and the rooms reached are the records an insurer asks for first. The technician's moisture readings and drying log complete the file.
Take wide photographs of each affected room, close photographs of the source and the water line on the walls, and photographs of the materials that will be removed. Note the time the water was first seen and what was being used in the house at the time, because those details help place the cause.
Keep the paperwork: the plumber's invoice, the receipts for equipment and cleaning, and the written scope of work. Share the file with the insurer promptly, because a claim with clear records is easier to decide than one assembled later from memory.
Frequently asked questions
Does my homeowners policy cover flood water in my basement?
A standard homeowners policy generally excludes flood, and water that comes in from outside during a storm is usually treated as flood. Check whether you hold flood coverage through an endorsement, a private policy or the National Flood Insurance Program, and remember the NFIP's 30-day waiting period.
Will the insurer pay to repair the broken sewer pipe?
Generally not. The water and sewer backup endorsement generally pays for the water damage in the house, while the repair of the pipe is usually the owner's cost. Ask the insurer to confirm how it treats the pipe under your policy in writing.
Why was my claim denied because the leak was slow?
Slow leaks are generally not covered, whenever they are found, because they are often treated as maintenance. Ask the insurer to state the clause it relies on, and keep the records that show when the water was first noticed.
How do I make a complaint in Maryland?
The Maryland Insurance Administration takes complaints about denied or delayed claims, and its consumer line is 800-492-6116. Keep your records in order before you call, and read the administration's letter for any hearing deadline.
Who decides my claim?
The insurer decides the claim under the wording of your policy, and the administration can look into how it did so. This guide states only the general pattern. The policy you hold and the insurer's written decision are the only documents that settle a specific claim.
Sources
- Maryland Insurance Administration - Water Back Up
- Maryland Insurance Administration - Flood vs Water Damage
- Prince George's County Government - Local Flood Hazards
This guide is general information for Prince George's County homeowners, not a substitute for an on-site inspection. Prices are estimates. See our disclaimer.